Northrop Grumman Opens Training Simulator
Northrop Grumman Corporation opened a shiphandling and bridge operation training simulator in its Sperry Marine training center in Hamburg, Germany. The 160-square-meter training center now offers instruction in all aspects of shiphandling and bridge operation. The courses include classroom instruction with multiple computer workstations and a complete integrated bridge system (IBS) and ship simulator. The new simulator system includes three projectors that provide a full-motion seascape on a 4.2-meter-wide, 120-degree panoramic screen. The bridge controls, which are linked to the ship simulator, provide realistic shiphandling scenarios for various types of ships under a variety of sea conditions. The Sperry Marine multi-console IBS installation mimics a typical ship’s bridge, including electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) with Sperry Marine’s proprietary Voyage Management System, radars, adaptive autopilot, manual steering, engine and bow thruster controls, heading and speed indicators, and other related systems.
Sperry Marine’s curriculum meets international requirements for ECDIS training under the 1995 amendments to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW-95) code. The syllabus follows the International Maritime Organization model course 1.27 for the operational use of ECDIS, and all courses are taught by certified instructors.
